


A Special Delivery

by roswolf, sleepdeprivedtechie



Series: GrimmIchi family series [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Fluff, Fullbringer Arc, M/M, Original Character(s), Post-Winter War (Bleach)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:21:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30086199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roswolf/pseuds/roswolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepdeprivedtechie/pseuds/sleepdeprivedtechie
Summary: A surprise arrival at the Kurosaki clinic gives Ichigo new purpose and helps him to handle the time without his powers. When Grimmjow arrives, they find a new way to fit together.
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo
Series: GrimmIchi family series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2212704
Comments: 24
Kudos: 41





	1. It Came in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> All Bleach characters belong to Tite Kubo. Characters you don't recognize belong to the authors.

The knock comes just about two in the morning, loud and from the clinic downstairs. Ichigo isn’t exactly startled awake from the noise, because he’s been tossing and turning for the last hour after being woken up by yet another night terror. This one had the added bonus of the smell of ash and rubble mixed with his own searing flesh; when the knocking gets louder and more frantic, he drags himself out of bed to go see who it might be. Maybe it's not an emergency that would require him to wake up his dad, because that’s the last thing Ichigo wants right now. Just as he gets downstairs and flips the light on, Ichigo catches the tail end of a shadow running off from in front of the frosted doors. Now he’s just pissed off all to hell that someone would possibly find it funny to pull a door-dash stunt at this ungodly hour; as he pulls the door open just to scream down the street he almost trips over the box of blankets left on the stoop. A terrified wail peals from inside, and Ichigo realizes what he’s just stumbled upon. Pulling the whole makeshift crib inside, Ichigo has a debate with himself as he’s trying to calm the child down. “ _ Wake my father or don’t? Call the police or wait until later in the morning? Someone should, no, needs to be told right?! Man, what I wouldn’t give to have Zangetsu back to talk this one through, or even Shiro for god’s sake!”  _ All of a sudden Ichigo remembers there’s some emergency formula in a cabinet in the back office! With some quick prep, a nice full belly is seeming to help the child calm down. Now that one small crisis has been averted, Ichigo sets to investigate the box so unceremoniously left at their doorstep. 

It doesn’t look like much, sadly; inside are a bunch of ratty looking blankets, except one that ironically is covered in strawberries and other tiny little fruits; a file folder with some paperwork and an envelope are dropped in underneath. “ _ Well, let’s see if this file can shed some light on just who you are, Little One,”  _ Ichigo thinks to himself. Carefully maneuvering the child to reach for the file, which is not an easy task, the paperwork now in front of him is just as meager as the box. Someone has scratched out all the names and any contact information listed on the birth records. Even the hospital information is crudely redacted.  _ “Wow. Whoever left you really didn’t make it easy to find where you belong, Little One.”  _ What he does find is that “Little One” was deemed completely healthy at his time of birth, just a little over a month ago; healthy weight, all digits accounted for, and no underlying conditions despite being just on the small side of things (another small crisis averted).  _ “I can’t imagine how scared you must be, Little One; to find yourself suddenly with no one to take care of you. To protect you. Maybe Dad would let you stay here for a little while instead of calling social services? There’s just something about you, something kismet. Huh, if that’s the case, maybe I should stop calling you ‘Little One,’ and start thinking of a name for you.”  _ He hasn’t had the time to open the letter yet, when he hears the shuffle of tired feet behind him.

“Ichigo? What are you doing up so early? And why are you in the clinic with all the lights on?” 

Tearing his thoughts away from the completely helpless being in his arms, he sees Isshin is standing in his pajamas just over his shoulder now. 

“I heard someone knocking on the clinic door, and I figured I’d let you sleep, Dad. Sorry if we woke you.” Ichigo says as he turns around to let Isshin see the child in his arms. 

Going into full doctor-mode, Isshin takes Little One from him and begins to run an examination; for some strange reason, Ichigo feels a little tug on his heartstrings from the loss of the baby in his arms. He doesn’t understand why, because he trusts his father implicitly. All he wants right now, is Little One back with him. 

Trying to distract himself from these crazy thoughts, Ichigo turns to the envelope. Inside, he finds hotel stationary that looks just as pathetic as the rest of the clutter that came along with Little One. The letter is hastily written and splotchy from tears left behind by Little One’s mother; she wrote about how she cannot take care of her child like she thought she could. About “things being after them,” and “whispers that threaten to hurt them;” how she grew up in group homes and just couldn’t do that to her child. It sounds like the poor woman may have suffered from some kind of mental illness, maybe schizophrenia. 

Little One makes a small noise that calls Ichigo to the examination table; the child looks so little and starts to fuss again. Running purely on instinct, Ichigo picks the child up which brings a wail like no other before. Panic setting in, he looks to his father for help.

“You fed him right? I bet you didn’t think to burp him. Go on, put him up on your shoulder and start giving some good, strong pats. Harder than you think, too” Isshin suggests. “Hmm,” he mumbles while looking over all the paperwork, including the letter, “I really should put a call into the police. They may be able to do some work and figure out just who this child belongs to; maybe even find a good family for him.” 

That does it; those few sentences break something rather fragile inside Ichigo and he cannot picture this child,  _ his _ Little One anywhere else. 

“NO! I mean, wait Dad, please. His mother sought us out because she didn’t want her child to be put with social services. Can Litt… I mean, can’t he just stay with us?”

Isshin is now giving him that “what are you crazy?” look; the one he got when he told his father that he was not sorry for heading into a war and would do it all over again, if he could. 

Ichigo sees the moment his dad caves, and a huge wave of relief spills over him. 

"You know, you really do have a savior complex, son. This will not be an easy task, and all I have ever wanted for you after the war was a bit of normalcy. But, if this is what you want we can try it. Now, we'll need to figure out how to explain where he came from, why he's here and in our care, but leave that to me. You just worry about what to call him; sounded like you had an idea already? You called him 'Lit'?"

"Well, no actually. I've been calling him 'Little One' in my head, but I don’t like it. Tell me about your family Dad, maybe I’ll get an idea from that. I know you were a Squad Captain, but other than that, we never really got to talking about it.” 

Isshin sighs heavily, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Let’s go sit at the table for this. I’ll make some tea, it’s a long story.” 

Nodding at that, Ichigo tucks a blanket around the baby to keep him warm. “Should I change him first? I mean, babies don’t have much of a digestive tract, right?” 

“Does he smell? Or does the diaper feel damp yet?” They had some emergency diapers on hand, so he did grab one along with some wipes and powder before leading the way back into the house. 

Ichigo follows his father, shutting off the clinic light behind himself as he steps into the house. He bows his head but can’t smell anything from the baby, and the diaper feels fine to him. “I can’t smell anything, and his diaper feels dry.” 

Flipping on the light over the stove, Isshin uses that to start the electric kettle as he pulls out mugs and some tea. “Then he’s fine for now. He’ll probably start to fuss when he’s wet, or you’ll notice it. It’s gonna be a lot more gross than you think when you go to change him, too.” 

“Worse than my own entrails?” Carefully, Ichigo pulls out a chair and sits, gently rocking the infant to keep him calm and happy. 

The comment makes Isshin freeze and cringe as the kettle bubbles away. “When did that happen?” 

“When Aizen fucked off out of soul society. I tried to stop him, he tried to cut me in half. He didn’t sever my spinal cord, and a few arteries remained attached.” Ichigo’s voice sounds detached, and his eyes are fixed on the drowsy baby in his arms. “Shh, close your eyes and sleep, Little One. I’ll still be here.” 

The mugs get set down on the counter harder than they need to be, and Isshin has to brace his hands on the counter as he regains his composure. “I hate that you had to go through that, Son. It’s the last thing I ever wanted for you, and knowing how close I came to losing you is never gonna get easier for me. You’re gonna learn that yourself, with that little guy.” 

Behind him, Ichigo just hums in agreement. The two lapse into silence until the kettle is ready, and Isshin brings a pair of steaming mugs to the table. He sets one in front of Ichigo, the string for the tea bag wrapped around the handle. Curling his hands around his own mug, Isshin sighs heavily. “I guess the first thing you should know is that Kurosaki was your mother’s surname. I took it when we got married, partially to help hide myself a little more.” 

“I’m guessing you didn’t exactly hand in a resignation to the old man.” The attempt at levity in Ichigo’s voice tugs at the corners of Isshin’s lips. 

“No, not exactly. You see, your mother was a Quincy. There had been reports of Quincies a few towns over, and I was sent to investigate it. It was a pair of teenagers, a boy and a girl. They were keeping the area clear of hollows all on their own, and their names were Ishida Ryuuken and Kurosaki Masaki.” A soft smile spreads over Isshin’s lips as he looks toward the poster on the wall, barely visible in the light from over the stove. “They were in an arranged marriage that neither of them wanted, but they also didn’t have a way to go against Ryuuken’s father. Yamamoto assigned me to keep tabs on them and make sure they wouldn’t be a threat to Soul Society. And I...I got attached. I counted them as friends.” 

“Ishida Ryuuken...is he Uryuu’s father?” Shifting his hold on the baby, Ichigo lays the little one over his chest and slouches in his chair a little. It was ever so slightly more secure, at least for being able to free up an arm. 

Nodding, Isshin smiles and sips his tea. “The very same. I was the captain of the tenth at the time, and also looking after my niece and nephew. My elder brother and sister in law had died a long time ago, and they’d been raised in part by me and by their older brother, who’d died in the line of duty.”

“So you were Toshirou’s captain, then? Guess it’s a good thing he and Matsumoto stayed with Inoue before the war.” Ichigo can feel when the baby falls asleep, how the tiny breaths on the side of his neck slow a little and even out, how the little body goes lax into him. It makes him want to curl himself around the infant so nothing can cause harm. 

“Yeah, he was my third seat.” Chuckling softly, Isshin shakes his head and sighs. “I do feel bad for how I left the squad. I basically just vanished on them. But if I hadn’t, you and your sisters wouldn’t exist.” 

“So your nephews and your niece, tell me about them?” It was the first time Ichigo has ever gotten a chance to hear about any extended family. His mother hadn’t had any surviving relatives, and his father had been tight lipped all through his childhood.

Isshin sips at his tea for a long moment before answering. “My family name was Shiba. My eldest nephew, Kaien, served as the lieutenant of the thirteenth until he died. His younger siblings, Kuukaku and Ganju hated that we were both shinigami. They have a lot of power themselves, but patently refused to follow our leads.” 

If he wasn’t holding an infant, Ichigo would slump forward and smack his face into the table. “Those lunatics are my cousins?” 

That has Issin’s eyes widening. “You’ve met Kuu-chan and Ganju?” 

“Yeah.” Groaning in resignation, Ichigo reaches for his tea and takes a sip of it. Herbal, just as he wants at this time of night. “Yoruichi took us to them to help get into soul society when marching through the gate didn’t work. Kuukaku had us create a reishi cannon ball and shot us in through the barrier.”

The way Ichigo describes it has Isshin fighting back giggles. He doesn’t have any issue imagining his niece doing just that. “Well, at least you’ve met them, then.”

Ichigo lets out a faintly amused huff and looks at the baby on his chest with consideration. “You remember the kanji that Kaien used for his name? It’s a good name, and a family name. It’ll fit this little one.” 

“Yeah.” Isshin chokes out before clearing his throat softly. He isn’t expecting to be so overcome with emotion over a name. “Yeah, I remember. It’s a perfect name, kiddo. Your cousin would be honored.” 

A small smile creeps over Ichigo’s lips as pride blooms in his chest. “Alright then, Little One. Your name is Kurosaki Kaien now. Sorry your Grandpa is such a nutcase.” He presses a soft kiss to the fine hair on Kaien’s head, and stifles a laugh when he gets a fart in return. “Okay, now I think I’m ready to learn how to change him.” 

Isshin has to clap his hands over his mouth to smother his laughter for a long moment before he can get himself under control. “Alright. I got everything except for a mat to put under him, but we can just use one of those ratty blankets for now. We’ll get rid of those soon enough.” He walks Ichigo through the diaper change, but lets the teen do all the work. “He’ll wake you again soon enough for another bottle, I’m sure. I’ll bring the supplies into the kitchen for when he needs to eat again. And I’ll excuse you from school for the day so we can go stock up on what you’ll need for him.” 

The diaper change isn’t too bad, though Ichigo has a feeling that was going to be the exception instead of the rule. Hearing that he would get a day out of school makes him happy, but then he frowns a little. “I’ll need someone to watch him while I’m at school, won’t I? And it’ll have to be someone I trust.” 

“We’ll cross that bridge tomorrow. Take the baby up and go back to bed. He’ll have to sleep with you until we can get him a crib.” Clapping his son on the shoulder, Isshin smiles at him. He even pulls Ichigo close and presses a kiss to his temple. “You’re gonna do fine, Son. I’ll make sure of it.” 

With a nod, Ichigo heads back up the stairs and settles into bed with Kaien on his chest. The weight of the infant actually helps him sleep, keeping him grounded through the night. They wake up one more time before morning, when Ichigo brings the diaper changing things up to his room. His alarm has Kaien crying at the noise, and he gently shushes the baby before getting him changed. For a moment, Ichigo considers laying Kaien on the bed alone so he can get dressed, but it feels risky. Surely he can get dressed while his dad holds the baby after breakfast.

When he gets to the table, there is a bottle sitting ready and waiting next to his plate, and it makes Ichigo smile. Kaien is starting to fuss, so he opts to feed the infant before tucking into his own meal. There’s something oddly relaxing about watching an infant greedily suck down the formula, and in moments the bottle is empty. 

“Use the rag next to your napkin for burping him.” Isshin’s voice almost startles Ichigo when it comes from behind him, but at least it’s not an attack today. Still, he obeys his father and drapes the rag over his shoulder before burping the baby. Third time’s the charm and he’s starting to get the hang of it. The burp sounds a little wetter this time, and there’s a bit of white on Kaien’s chin when Ichigo goes back to holding him in the crook of his arm. “First spit up, I guess? Good thing I’m still in my pajamas.” The edge of the rag is handy enough to wipe the baby’s face, and when it is dealt with he actually looked up for the first time that morning. 

Karin speaks first, after taking a long drink from her juice. “So we’re keeping him? For real?” 

“Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m not sure how that’ll work, but I’m also pretty sure Urahara owes Dad a favor or three by now.” Ichigo reaches for his toast, just to have Yuzu swipe it from him. He almost complains, but then notices that she is buttering it for him. “Thanks, Yuzu.” 

“Well, it’ll be hard to do it with one hand.” She smiles warmly, pulling a soft smile from him in the process. “You seem...lighter today. I don’t know how to explain it.” 

Ichigo huffs a little, his smile growing marginally. “I don’t know either. All I do know is that I have no idea what I’m doing, but it feels like the right thing.” 

“Your brother is getting the day off of school to go stock up on things, too. Unfortunately we can’t really take the car on the way there.” Isshin sighs, sounding almost wistful as he watches Ichigo eat one handed. 

Looking at his father, Ichigo arches an eyebrow. “You okay, Dad?”

A soft hum and a nod are the answer Ichigo gets at first, before Isshin looks toward the poster of his late wife. “Just wish your mother could be here to see this. She absolutely wouldn’t approve, you’re still a kid yourself, but damn she’d be proud of you.” 

Anything he could say in reply dies on Ichigo’s tongue. He looks down at his plate, eyes filling with tears he won’t let fall. “I’ll do my best and make her proud anyway.” His voice is soft, but there’s no other sound at the moment so everyone hears it. 

“I know you will. I’m just gonna have to spoil that little guy twice as much to make up for her.” Isshin’s eyes are also suspiciously wet, but he can’t hold back a laugh when Kaien coos what almost sounds like an agreement. 

The sound makes Ichigo laugh and he looks down to see Kaien smiling at him. “You are gonna be one spoiled little guy. And you deserve it all.” He can’t resist the urge to hug the baby and give him a little kiss, just waiting for one of his sisters to break. 

“That’s it, hand him over.” Karin is out of her seat, standing at Ichigo’s side with her arms out. “I’m done eating, and I still have a few minutes before it’s time to go. Besides, you need to eat breakfast.”

“Just make sure you support his head.” Ichigo still remembers his mother teaching him how to hold his sisters, and he helps Karin support Kaien properly. “And no soccer cleats until he’s walking.” It isn’t a stretch to imagine her spending her allowance on something like that. 

“Fine. It’s not like he’ll be able to kick a ball until then anyway.” Even though she tries to sound petulant, Karin is grinning at the baby in her arms. “I’m so not helping with diapers unless you’re sick, Ichigo.”

That comment almost has Ichigo snorting coffee out of his nose. He sets his cup down quickly and coughs as he clears his throat before laughing. “That’s fine, Karin. I understand.” But he does also take advantage of having both hands free to inhale his breakfast. 

Before Ichigo can take Kaien back, Isshin gently plucks the infant from Karin’s arms. “You girls need to get going, and Ichigo needs to go get dressed. I’ll look after this little guy in the meantime.” 

“Thanks, Dad.” Ichigo knocks back the last of his coffee and gets up, taking his dishes to the sink. “I’d thought about just laying him on my bed and getting dressed, but it didn’t seem right.” 

“Yeah, he’s a little young for that. But by tomorrow you’ll be able to do it since we’ll have a crib for him.” Smiling, Isshin rocks the baby and takes him over to the poster of Masaki. “That’s your Grandma. She’d have loved to meet you, and she’d be spoiling you silly by now. But now she can watch over you in spirit.” 

The burning in Ichigo’s eyes of tears he isn’t going to shed follows him all the way up to his room. He dresses as quickly as he can, not wanting to waste time that needs to be spent getting necessities. 

Several hours and a delivery truck later, Ichigo flops onto the couch carefully. He has Kaien in his arms, fighting a nap, and he just wants to relax for a few minutes. He still needs to go upstairs and put the crib together, but he is just wiped out. “C’mon, Kai, we both know you need a nap little guy. We can take one right here, and then I can put your playpen together and you can have some tummy time while I build your crib.” The delivery crew have blessedly been kind enough to help do a little furniture moving in his room, helping to move his nightstand between his bed and the wall. It means that the crib can go between the bed and his desk.

“Try humming a lullaby. Between the melody and the vibration in your chest, it should make him drop right off.” Chuckling, Isshin gets to work on removing price tags from the clothes and toys they’d grabbed. He’s working on the clothing first, so it can all get washed in the laundry soap he’s picked out just for the baby’s skin. “I can wake you both in an hour so we can work together on the crib. I have a feeling it’s going to be easier with two sets of hands.” 

Bringing a hand up to cover his yawn, Ichigo gives his father a smile and gets a little more comfy on the couch. He can’t really remember any lullabies, though, so he pulls out his phone and looks some up on the internet. The volume on his phone was kept low enough to not hurt Kaien’s ears, and has both father and son out cold in moments. Not even the shutter sound from the picture Isshin takes can wake them. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Have you noticed just how tired Ichigo seems these past few weeks?" Orihime asks no one in their triad specifically. She's always been aware of how depressed Ichigo has been since the end of the war and subsequent loss of powers, but this just looks different. A strange mix of satisfaction and bone deep exhaustion. 

"I haven't noticed anything different as of late; he's always looked that way to me." Uryuu comments, "but, if I'm being honest, I haven't spoken with him in a while. I just don't know what I would say." 

Chad, ever the silent presence makes a sound of agreement. He's been so busy between school, helping out with keeping Karakura town safe, and his new friends that he too has lapsed in keeping up his friendship with Ichigo. His new friends keep asking questions about Kurosaki, too. They are antsy to meet him, and for some reason that doesn't sit well with Chad. 

Before the trio can further their conversation, that telltale sign of immense pressure signals hollow trouble nearby. When they quickly sprint out of the classroom making their usual excuses, Orihime glances back, but doesn't see despair on Ichigo's face like she normally does. In fact, he may look relieved? 

***

After school, the group makes their way over to the shoten for debriefing. More often than not, they wind up just sitting around Kisuke's table trying to figure out how to approach the "Ichigo subject;" maybe they get a visit from Rukia or Renji and try to catch up on the Soul Society gossip, but it never feels right and the visits always feels hollow and fake. Today feels different though. Kisuke seems just a tad more shifty than usual, almost like he's hiding something (yet again) and Tessai is nowhere to be found. 

"Alright Kisuke, just come out with it already! You've been smiling like the cat who caught the mouse since we got here." Uryuu prods the shopkeeper. 

"Whatever could you mean Ishida-kun? You know me! I'm an open book with nothing to hide!" Whipping out his shitty little fan that literally does nothing but hide his scheming ways. 

Almost as if on cue, the shoten door slides open; “Hey Hat-and-Clogs! I got a favor to ask of you.” And their object of recent conversation and perpetual dilemma stands there, like a deer in the headlights, with what looks to be a car seat in hand? Instantly, the temperature of the room sinks to the point where everyone is frozen in place. The only thing daring to make a sound, is whatever is currently doing their best impression of a balloon losing air inside the carrier. 

Kisuke is the first to try and break the stalemate. “Ah, Kurosaki-kun, to what do we owe the pleasure? And whom might this little bundle be?” 

“Um… I can always just come back later, it really isn’t that important,” is the uncharacteristic response that falls out of Ichigo’s mouth as he looks like he wants to be anywhere but here right now. 

Orihime can’t understand why he seems so uncomfortable with them in the room;  _ “we used to be friends, what happened between us?! We fought a war together and now we can’t stand to be in the same room? Don’t let him go, do something… anything!” _

“Wait, no! Don’t go, please!” she starts, “I want to see who this cutie pie is that snores so loudly.”

It takes a moment, and she can see Ichigo silently debate whether or not to stay, before he squares himself up and comes into the room. He places the carrier onto the table and inside is the smallest, cutest little baby Orihime thinks she’s ever seen. The child is all bundled up in a blue onesie and little beanie that is just to die for, a strawberry and fruit themed blanket ties everything together. 

“Well, I wasn’t planning on saying anything just yet since we’re still trying to figure everything out at home; but, this is Kaien. He’s going to be my son.” 

If the room was cold before, those little words just plunged the room into the arctic.

“WHAT?!” is the only response given to Ichigo’s declaration as Uryuu makes himself heard. Urhara’s fan is currently working overtime, and for once it's actually doing the job it's designed for. “How is something like this even possible?!” 

“Shut up Uryuu! Yelling like that will wake him up and he only just fell back to sleep on the way over here. I had to circle the block just to put him out, too. Listen, why don’t we get Tessai to make some tea and I’ll fill you all in at once. It’s been a long month. Where is the big lug anyway?”

“Uhhh... I’ll get the kettle started, why don’t you start from the top.” Kisuke says obviously looking for an excuse to escape. 

***

Blank stares, four for four, is what Ichigo gets when he’s done relating Kaien’s story. Uryuu looks like he’s trying to process a calculus problem; Orihime is trying to hide the fact that she’s on the verge of tears (whether they are happy ones or sad, the jury is still out); Kisuke has finally put the damn fan away; and Chad is just… Chad. 

The tension in the room is like a rubber band pulled tight and ready to snap, so no one is attempting to say anything. It’s most definitely not the way Ichigo wanted to do this, but fate seemed to have other plans. 

Suddenly, Uryuu stands straight up and takes a moment before sighing deeply and fixing a stare at Ichigo. 

“This is a hairbrained plan Kurosaki, even for you,” he states calmly.

“Uryuu…” Orihime tries to stop him before he gets ahead of himself and says something he’ll regret, but the rubber band has officially snapped.

“Stop it! I’m going to say what I want to say and he’s going to listen for once! Savior Complex be damned! This isn’t just a kitten that you brought in from the street, this is a person. A human being! You are too young and too hard headed to care for something that you probably don’t even understand. This whole thing is just a sorry attempt at trying to fill whatever void is left over from your shinigami powers being gone!”

“Are you done, Uryuu?” Kisuke asks coldly, and the lack of honorifics isn’t missed by anyone. 

Uryuu just stands there, fists clenched and mouth gaping like a fish. “Yes.” 

“Then we thank you for your opinion and I kindly ask you to leave my shop.” 

Four blank stares now turn into looks of shock; Kisuke may be a dick, but not once has he asked anyone to leave the shoten. Even when Yoruichi is super drunk and inappropriate during the middle of the day, she’s still welcomed in the strange shop. 

Once Uryuu storms out of the room, Orihime stands up next and with a muddled expression she leans over to look into the carrier one last time. “It was very nice to meet you Kaien-kun. I hope to be able to see you again really soon.” With a tight smile, she gives a slight nod in Ichigo’s direction and follows Uryuu out. 

Ichigo looks at the last friend left sitting at the table, “I know you aren’t one for words Chad, but if you have anything to say about how I’m going to fuck this up, or that Kaien deserves better, now’s your chance.” 

Chad stands up to his full, daunting height and then shifts himself over next to Ichigo. Chad takes Kaien’s little fist in his giant paw and says “Hello Kaien, I’m your Tio Sado. You may be little now, but I will help you get big and strong. Just like how your padre and my Abuelo helped me.” 

And with that, Ichigo hangs his head a little as Chad’s other arm comes around his shoulder and gives a hearty, congratulatory hug to his best friend. Ichigo is trying so hard to hide the tears of happiness that are threatening to come out from his friend’s attempt at solidarity. It’s the second time in the last two months that Ichigo feels a little bit fuller; a little bit brighter; a little more healed. 

“So Kurosaki-kun,” interrupts the shopkeeper. “You mentioned something about needing a favor?”

"Ahem, oh yeah. I was wondering if you might be able to watch Kaien a few times a week while I'm in school? Dad volunteered initially, but between running the clinic and running my sisters around town for whatever extracurriculars they have, he's wearing down."

Now it was the shopkeeper's turn to look shocked. "Ichigo, I am honored that you would feel comfortable enough to enlist my help." 

Ichigo scoffs, "Comfortable has nothing to do with it you shifty bastard! I needed someone I trust who is strong enough to protect my kid. I know what's out there, and your run-of-the-mill au pair just won't cut it."

Out comes the damn fan again, probably to hide his slight look of disappointment, “you wound me Kurosaki-kun!"

"Well, sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. And make sure that Yoruichi is dressed and sober around him!" 


End file.
